Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in personal care but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Adam Dickens, Founder of Dickens Candles, located in Elmhurst, IL, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
My name is Adam Dickens, and I founded Dickens Candles in 2016. I was inspired by coffee, beer, and Saturday mornings to start the company. I set out to create a handmade, sustainably sourced candle you could feel good about. Hand-poured soy wax candles in recycled beer bottles are a project I devised using my maker abilities and imagination. Sustainability has been incorporated into every element of our candles.
The hand-poured candles include strong but not overwhelming scents, 100% renewable American-grown soy wax, and recycled bottles. Elmhurst, Illinois-based Dickens Candles are made with fragrances and containers that go well with your home's decor. I send my eco-friendly candles using recycled packing paper, biodegradable packing peanuts, and plant-based tape to complement their sustainability.
Tell us about yourself
Being the company's founder while maintaining a full-time position as a marketing manager. My family developed along with my businesses. I have a supportive wife who works as a successful corporate executive and three children under the age of eight. I made the decision to leave my full-time work and go into entrepreneurship due to a growing business and associated obligations.
By leaving my corporate position, I was able to support my wife's profession while still expanding my business. I am most definitely in the minority at the park and during playdates as a father because I am the primary caregiver, or "Stay at Home Dad," as many refer to me. However, I am happy to continue my business endeavors and cheer on my wife's success. It also provides me more time to coach the baseball and softball teams for my kids!
My wife's career was booming. I wanted to run my own business, and we needed more freedom, so it made sense for me to leave my full-time corporate job to concentrate on building my business and giving our family and my wife's career priority.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I can financially and time-wise support my family by starting a business.
I list "Entrepreneur - Candle Guy - Dad" as my title on my business card because I play those roles every day. I'm quite proud of myself for managing to juggle raising my three small children while still managing a profitable business. Although it can be chaotic at times, I find so much satisfaction in having the freedom to do both.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
It might be really difficult to handle everything on your own as a solopreneur. Making so many decisions on your own, frequently with little notice, is particularly difficult. By establishing connections with other like-minded small business owners, I reduce this. I get knowledge from talking with them, have dependable counsel with whom to test ideas, and have a sense of community when facing challenging circumstances.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Believe what you do matters. If you don't believe in yourself, no one else will.
- Take risks you can afford. You don't need to bet your whole life on your business right out of the gate. Take small incremental risks and gain momentum.
- Build a support network. You don't have to go it alone. Surround yourself with people who will help you thrive (e.g., peers, cheerleaders, mentors).
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.dickenscandles.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dickenscandles/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dickens_candles/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/dickens_candles
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamdickens/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
Turn your craft into recurring revenue with Subkit. Start your subscription offering in minutes and supercharge it with growth levers. Get early access here.